After nearly 50 years, the sacred site where Jesus is believed to have been baptized is set to reopen as the last of many landmines are cleared from the area. In a statement released Sunday, the Israeli government announced that its work with international anti-landmine experts is almost complete. Marcel Aviv, who heads the Defense…

Two metropolitans, formerly of the canonical Ukrainian Church, voluntarily entered into schism today by joining the new nationalist church created by Constantinople at today’s “unification council.” Former Metropolitan Alexander Drabinko of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and former Metropolitan Simeon Shostasky of Vinnitsa “are creating a new church and transferring to it,” commented His Eminence Archbishop Clement of Nizhyn…

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel will celebrate his name day on Monday, December 17, 2018, when the Church commemorates the feast day of the Holy Prophet Daniel. On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Sts Constantine and Helen Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. At 12.00, a Te Deum service will be officiated as…

ANKARA, December 15. /TASS/. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople plans to hand over the Tomos (decree) of Autocephaly to the head of Ukraine’s newly established church, a spokesperson for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople told TASS on Saturday. “The patriarchate welcomes the success of the unification council in Ukraine. Patriarch Bartholomew invited Metropolitan Epiphany [to Istanbul]…

Last Saturday’s Ukrainian “unification council,” a project of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is non-canonical and will only serve to deepen the schism in Ukraine, His Eminence Metropolitan Daniil of Viding of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church believes. In an interview posted on the official site of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Met. Daniil stated that, although the…

Moscow, December 15, Interfax – The so-called “unification assembly” held in Kiev on Saturday, which elected the leader of the new Ukrainian “church” independent from Moscow, is canonically nil, the Russian Orthodox Church said. “The non-canonical gathering of individuals, of whom some have and most don’t have the legitimate Episcopal consecration, under general leadership of…

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The canonical Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate will continue serving in Ukraine after a new church – the Autocephalous Orthodox Church – was established in that country, the Reverend Alexander Volkov, spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, told TASS on Saturday. “The Russian Orthodox Church is praying in…

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. After the creation of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine, schismatic religious groups will grow in number in that country, the Reverend Alexander Volkov, spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, told TASS. “As for those rulings passed in the ancient St. Sophia’s in Kiev (the St. Sophia’s Cathedral)…

Kiev, December 15, Interfax – Epiphany Dumenko has been elected as the leader of the “local Orthodox Church and Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine,” Culture Minister Yevgeny Nishchuk announced from the stage on the square in front of the St. Sophia Cathedral on Saturday. His announcement was made as President Pyotr Poroshenko, Verkhovnaya Rada…